William hope



(No Model.)

W. HOPE & R. S. RIPLEY GARTRIDGE FOR ORDNANGE.

No. 314,127. Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

INVENTORS:

WM By their Attorneys, 6 M 6W WITNESSES:

Nrrn STATES arena rrrcn.

\VILLIAM HOPE, OF LONDOJ, ENGLAND, AND BOS\VELL SABINE RIPLEY, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS TO THE SOCIETE DES FONDERIES ET FOBGES DE TERRE-NOIRE, LA 'VOULTE ET BESSEGE-S.

CARTRIDGE Foa ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION Zorrningflpart of Letters Patent No. 314,127,6iated March 1'7, 1885.

Application tiled April '22, 1 834. (No model.) Patented in England July 15, USO, No. 2,913; in France July 24, 1880, Xo.1l7,020;

in Belgium Decemher27, 1883, No. 63,672,

(ZZZ whom, it may concern Beit known that we, WILLIAM Horn, a sub ject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in London, England, and RoswnLL SABINE RIPLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paris, France, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in CartridgesforOrdnanceandFire-Arms,(forwhich patents have been granted to us, or to our as- 10 signees, LA CIE. nns FONDERIES ET FORGES nn TnRRn-Nomn, France; in Great Britain July 15,1880, No. 2,923; in France July 24, 1880, No. 137,920, and in Italy, application filed January 5, 1884, register Vol. XXXII,

No. 262, the term of which Italian patent begins April 1, 1884,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to ammunition for ordnance and fire-arms generally, but particu- 2c larly tocartridges for heavy guns. The novel features relate to the peculiar construction of the cartridge, whereby dangerous waves of pressure are avoided when the charge is exploded, and the strain on the gun is so much reduced that a very much greater quantity of explosive material may be employed than in guns as ordinarily constructed, while the gun itself may be much lighter. The construction is such that the inertia of the projectile is either wholly or in part overcome by the primary explosion of an igniting-charge, while the explosive material in the main or principal cartridge is ignited throughout its length by said igniting charge. Thus the lateral force of the explosion and the recoil are reduced to the minimum, and the maximum initial velocity, penetrating power, accuracy,and flatness of trajectory are attained.

In the drawings which serve to illustrate our 0 invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a breech-loading gun of the form we prefer for use with our cartridge. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal axial section of the same, showing our cartridge in position in same. Fig. 3

5 is a rear view of same. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the breech of the same.

and in Italy January 5 1 84, XXXIY, 102.

Fig 5 is a side elevation of a \Voolwich gun having nearly the same power as the gun shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal axial section of our improved cartridge 0 drawn to a larger scale. The object being to in crease the range, accuracy, penetration, and flatness of trajectory, and these being depend ent in a great measure upon the amount of powder that can be converted into gas before the projectile leaves the gun, we have sought to attain all of these advantages in the highest degree with a cartridge containing a very heavy charge,that may be exploded with safety in a much lighter gun than those in ordinary use. Indeed we are enabled to produce better results with our improved cartridge with as ix and one-fourth ton gun than can be pro duced with an ordinary \Voolwich gun (see Fig. 5) of thirty-eight tons. This is avery important advantage, and is whollydue to the improved construction of our cartridge,which we will now describe with reference to Fig. 6.

A is the case of the cartridge, which is made to tit the cartridgechamber of the gun, and which may be constructed of brass or other suitable material. This case is provided with a stout breech-piece, m. In the axis of the case A is arranged a perforated igniting-tube, a,which is secured at its rear end in the breech- 7 5 piece at, and extends forward to a projectile which fits in the end of the case A. Around the ignitingtube is packed the charge of powder B. The end of tube a opens out at the butt of the cartridge-case, and is adapted to receive an igniting-cartridge, a. This cartridge is constructed in substantially the same manner as the principal cartridge-that is to say, it comprises a tubular case, a butt-piece, a perforated axial igniting-tube, and a charge 8-, of powder.

For cartridges for heavy guns the ignitingcartridge is very powerful, being substantially a blank-cartridge. It should have a length equal to ten to tifteen of its own calibers, and a caliber of from 0.10 to 0.20 of that of the main cartridge. The walls of the port-ion a of the tube a, whichreceives the igniting-cartridge n, are not perforated, and should be made thick enough to withstand the force of the explosion of the igniting-cartridge, and the perforations in the remaining portion of the tube should increase in area and number, one or both, in proportion to their distance from theigniting-cartridge, in order that when the latter is exploded and sends a sheet of flame through the igniting-tube the charge of powder 13 may be ignited throughout and almost simultaneously at all points; but the object is to ignite first that portion of the powder next to the projectile in order that it may burn backward and no unburned powder be discharged from the gun.

In order to further assure the above conditions when the charge is exploded, we may make up the charge of powder B of different grades as to capacity for burning slow or fast, and arrangethese grades in stratified order, as indicated in Fig. 6, by the coarser or finer grain. Theigniting-cartridge n serves a double purposenamel y, to send a sheet of flame through the igniting-tube a for igniting the main charge, and for starting the projectile in motion, or at least overcoming its inertia before the explosion of the main charge, whereby dangerous waves of pressure are avoided.

For guns intended for armor-piercing, we prefer to make the powder-chamber of the cartridge equal to fifteen calibers of the gun, and to make the cartridge-case A to exceed in caliber the caliber of the projectile about The caliber of theigniting-tube a should be from 0.10 to 0.25 of the caliber of the gun. The igniting-cartridgenis exploded by a powerful primer, which is inserted in the rear open end of the axial perforated tube in said cartridge, and which is adapted to throw a strong flame through said tube when saidprimerisexploded. Theaxial perforated tube of the ignitingcartridge a should be a little shorter than the tubular case of the same, and the latter is securely closed by asubstantial wad and the whole covered by varnished paper. If the grains ofthe powder are smaller than the holes in the perforatedignitingtubes used in the main and igniting cartridges, which will usually be the case, the outside of these tubes must be covered with an open woven fabric-as tulle or gauze, or thin paperand these tubes must be fixed in their respective cases in such a way that they can be taken out, recovered, and replaced when the cartridge-cases are returned to the arsenal or magazine to be refilled. The igniting-cartridge is not placed in position in the tube of the main cartridge until after the latter is in place in the gun, and the main cartridge, being very long, may serve as a ram mer for sending home the projectile.

To receive the projectile the end of the case A of the cartridge is provided with amold, f, of papier-mach, through which, by preference, the end of the projectile is made to prothe rear of the projectile.

ject rearward to enable the exploded charge of the igniting-cartridge n to act directly upon This mold f may be conveniently divided into sections to prevent it from adhering to the projectile after the latter leaves the gun. At the rear of this mold is a wad, g, of papier-mach or other similar material, about a quarter of a caliber thick and dished, as shown, the space between it and the moldf being filled with grease 72. When the charge is exploded, the wad 9 tends to flatten and forces the grease out laterally, thus effectually cleansing out and lubricating the gun at each discharge. This construc tion of the wad g provides an absolutely gastight construction and a superior gascheck.

In the forward end of the igniting-tube a is fitted a highly-compressed stopper or wad, 0, which, when expelled by the discharge, fills the central opening in the wad g.

The case A ofthe cartridge is slightly tapered at its front in order to reduce the caliber of the case to the caliber of the projectile, and to render the retraction or withdrawal of the case easier after the discharge.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 we have shown a breech-loading gun adapted for tiring our improved cartridge. The breech block b is mounted on a curved arm, c,which swings on apivot orpintle, d. WVhen the block isin place. it is held by a key or pin. The breech-block b is perforated to receive thepriiner for effecting the discharge.

0 is the retractor.

As the construction of our improved eartridge avoids all dangerous waves of pressure, and permits us to obtain a pressure-diagram very nearly parallel with the axis of the gun,

it will be seen that we are enabled, as before c stated, to employ a gun of much less weight than those generally in use of the same or even of less power.

We illustrate the form of gun we consider best adapted to our cartridge; but we do not limit ourselves to this form.

Our cartridge may be used in breech-loading guns of other forms and in smaller arms.

The cartridges may be closed at both ends and varnished, so as to be made waterproof, and they can then, if desired, be stored under water.

\Ve are aware that cartridges have been pro posed wherein a simple perforated igniting tube is arranged to extend through the powder-chamber, and a small charge of fulminate, to be exploded by percussion, is arranged in a shallow recess in the rear of the cartridgeshell. This we do not claim. WVe employ a distinct removable elongated cartridge adapted to be exploded by ignition to effect the ig nition of the main charge,and powerful enough to overcome, or partially overcome, theinertia of the projectile. This may be calleda .secondary or auxiliary cartridge, and is entirely independent of the primer or fulminate by which the ignition is primarily determined. This latter forms no part of our cartridge nee cssarily,but is supplied at the moment of firin Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. A cartridge for ordnance and fire-arms, comprisinga tubular case, an igniting-tubearranged in the powder-chamber of said case, said ignitingtube having perforations which increase in area, substantially as set forth, to ward the forward end of the cartridge, and an ignitingcharge arranged at the rear end of said perforated igniting-tube and designed to effect the ignition of the charge in the cartridge, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A cartridge for ordnance and firearms, comprising a tubular case, an axial perforated igniting-tube arranged to extend through the powder-chamber of the said case, and an elongated tubular removable cartridge, n, adapted to fit into the igniting-tube and to be exploded by ignition, and designed to ignite the main charge and to overcome, or partly overcome, the inertia of the projectile, substantially as set forth.

3. A cartridge for ordnance and fire-arms, comprising a tubular case provided with a perforated igniting-tube extending through the powder-chamber, and an i gniting-cartridge adapted to fit into said igniting-tube, the said ignitingcartridge comprising a tubular case provided with a perforated igniting-tube extending through its POWdQPChRll'IbQI, all constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

4. A cartridge for ordnance and firearms, comprising a tubular case, an igniting-tube arranged in said case and extending through the powder-chamber of the same, said ignitingtube having perforations which increase in area. substantially as set forth, toward the for ward end of the cartridge, and anignitingcartridge, substantially as described, adapted to fit into the rear end of said igniting-tube, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A cartridge for ordnance and fire-arms, comprising a tubular case, A, provided with a buttpiece, m, a perforated igniting-tube, (it, having a thickened unperfora-ted portion, a, to receive the igniting-cartridge n, and the said igniting-cartridge of elongated tubular form and adapted to be exploded by ignition, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, in a cartridge for ordnance and firearms, of the tubular case provided with a butt-piece and a perforated igniting-tube, as shown, the igniting'cartridge, the moldf, the dished wad g, the grease h, the compressed wad 0, and the charge of powder 13, all constructed and arranged substantially as set forth, and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof we have hereuntosigned our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\V. HOPE. ROSlVELL SABINE RIPLEY.

\Vitnesses as to signature of W. Hope:

\VM. THos. MARSHALL, EDMUND S. SNEWIN. \Vitnesses as to signature of Roswell S. Ripley:

RoBT. M. HoorER, DAVID T. S. FULLER. 

